SAINT PETER, Minn. - The Gustavus softball team kept the engines rolling on Thursday afternoon with a pair of MIAC wins over Macalester, 5-2 and 3-2. The Gusties moved to 16-14 overall and 10-2 in the conference.
Gustavus 5, Macalester 2
In the first game of the doubleheader at the Gustie Softball Field, the bats were flowing for the Gusties, garnering eight hits, and
Maizie Anderson kept the Scots at bay with just two earned runs to her name.
After Macalester scored a run in the top of the second inning, the Gusties added a run of their own in the bottom of the third. First-year
Carly Olson singled down the left field line to score
Olivia Guggenberger in what would prove to be a career day at the plate for the catcher, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the first contest.
Fast forward to the fifth inning where each team scored a run to tie the game 2-2.
Lauren Lambert singled up the middle with two outs to score
Caitlin Olafsson. In the next inning, what would prove to be the last set of at-bats for the home team, the Gusties tacked on three more to extend the lead out of reach for the Scots.
Kayla Herda brought in the winning runs with a two-run double to right field to score
Madi Mueller and
Macy McNally, followed by a ground out by
Carly Olson to score Guggenberger.
The Scots scored one in the top of the seventh inning with no outs, but Anderson cleaned up the mess with a strikeout and two putouts to push the Gusties over the finish line in game one. Olson and Lambert led the home team with three and two hits, respectively, to help the Gusties, and Anderson added her eighth win in the circle.
Gustavus 3, Macalester 2
The second game proved to be much of the same for the Gusties, with 11 hits, led by Herda, Olson, and
Greta Dahlen who all chipped in two apiece. Ava Hasmund pitched for the Gusties, who, coming into the game, had the fifth best ERA in the conference.
The Gusties started hot, scoring a run in each of the first two innings. Olafsson got the Gusties on the board first with an RBI single up the middle to score Herda. In the second, McNally reached on an error by the Macalester third baseman that scored
Lauren Lambert to extend the lead.
After three scoreless innings, the Gusties improved the lead in the sixth inning. With Dahlen at third base, Mueller grounded out to shortstop to send Dahlen home. After that, the Gusties couldn't generate any more runs on the night, finishing the sweep off winning 3-2, after a late rally from the Scots.
In the circle, Hasmund went the distance, finishing the complete game with four strikeouts, five walks, and allowing five hits, improving her record to 7-5.
The Gusties are back in action on Saturday in Duluth, Minn. to take on St. Scholastica.
